Having recently performed with the legendary organist Booker T., of the 1960s R&B band Book T. & The M.G.’s, earlier this month, The Mainstays draws heavily from the groovy elements that made Funktion (Heymoss’s Michigan funk/dance band) a bonafide dance party, while crafting dynamic, insightful and almost folk-influenced songs. Bauer behind the drum kit and the dirty playing of Eldred on keys bring the sound fully together.

Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the evening. A variety of food trucks will be on hand for the event.

For more information about this Summer Concert Series or other programs offered by the Kentwood Parks and Recreation, visit www.yourkprd.org.

A pancake breakfast, 5K run, carnival games and of course, fireworks, all adds up to one event — the City of Kentwood’s annual July 4th Celebration.

Taking place on Tuesday, July 4, the celebration kicks off with a pancake breakfast from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. at a new location, the Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Library, 4950 Breton Rd. SE. For $5, its pancakes and sausage to start off the day.

From there, participants can head next door to City Hall, 4900 Breton Rd. SE, watch the start of the Autocam 5K Race and Fun Walk, which starts at 8:30 a.m. Cheer the runners on as they follow a new course this year that will start and end at City Hall along with allowing race participants to travel through the East West Trail and the neighborhoods west of City Hall.

From City Hall, visitors have an excellent opportunity to snag a viewing spot for this year’s parade which will step off at 9:30 a.m. from Crestwood Middle School, 2674 44th St. SE, exiting out of the south drive on to Walma Avenue. The parade will travel south down Walma to Breton, going right past the Kentwood City Hall. From Breton, the route will go west on 52nd Street, ending at Challenger Elementary School, 2475 52nd St. SE. The annual parade is covered live by WKTV on Channel 25.

The celebration takes a break for the afternoon with evening activities set to start at 6 p.m. at Crestwood Middle School. There will be carnival rides, giant inflatables, food vendors and food trucks along with music by Great Scott, games and of course, the entire evening wrapping up with fireworks. Additional parking and viewing will be available at the City Center, 4900 Breton St. SE. Note, no personal fireworks, sparklers or Chinese lanterns allowed at the public event.

Volunteers for the annual event are still needed. To volunteer or for more information about the July 4th Celebration, visit www.yourkprd.org or call 616-656-5270.

The Kentwood July 4th Celebration is part of the city’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The 50th Anniversary community-wide celebration is set for Aug. 11 and 12. For more information on the Kentwood 50th Anniversary, visit www.kentwood50.com.

Kentwood-based building materials and supply company Lumbermen’s, has acquired Michigan Prestain, a manufacturer of prefinished wood products. The sale involving the local companies was finalized June 9. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The merged entity will produce and distribute products under the “Great American Spaces” brand.

Lumbermen’s, located at 4433 Stafford Ave. SE, in Kentwood, and Michigan Prestain have had a successful partnership for nearly two years with Lumbermen’s distributing Michigan Prestain products, including Easy Barnwood.

Steve Petersen

Michigan Prestain was founded in 1989 by Greg Troutt. At the time of the acquisition, the company had nearly 30 employees working out of a 66,000-square foot manufacturing facility on Roger B Chaffee Drive in Wyoming. All Michigan Prestain employees will continue to work out of this facility.

Troutt intends to stay with Lumbermen’s to develop new products and support the combined sales team as the company continues to increase sales with current dealers as well as new networks across the country.

Lumbermen’s is 100 percent employee owned and strives to be the first choice of building materials for its customers. The company has 400 employees working at locations across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and northern Kentucky.

Greg Troutt

Acquisition of Michigan Prestain meets Lumbermen’s strategic vision to diversify its products and offerings, as well as its focus on value-added services in its Building Materials division.

“We are thrilled to add Michigan Prestain to our already diverse product offering,” said Steve Petersen, president of Lumbermen’s. “There is a natural synergy between our companies. We’re excited about the growth opportunities and value it will bring to our customers, as well as what it will mean to our employee owners.”

The City of Kentwood will be closing westbound 44th Street between Breton Avenue and Walma Avenue for repairs beginning June 23. Eastbound 44th Street is unaffected and will remain fully open.

Westbound 44th Street will close at 7 p.m. on Friday night until Saturday morning to minimize impact on travelers. Westbound 44th Street will reopen late Saturday morning to one-lane through Sunday evening. All lanes are expected to open Sunday evening. Eastbound traffic will not be affected.

During construction hours, motorists are encouraged to find an alternate route or to use the posted detour.

Tom Cutts has shared the stage with many leading artists such as Al Green, Shirley Caesar, Andre Crouch, James Cleveland, Marvin Sapp among others. He’s performed on various television, radio, and conference showcases across the U.S.A., including the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel Show and the Singsation Gospel show.

On June 22, he treated a Kentwood audience to his musical talent.

Cutts’s musical styling crosses into gospel, jazz, blues, R&B and rock. His concerts bring refreshing covers of many musical stands, and include surgical music penned in multiple genres.

In 2013, Cutts was the Midwest Regional champion of the Guitar Center “Battle of the Blues” contest. Since 2014, Cutts has increasingly expanded his musical resume by performing swing jazz with Big Band Nouveau of West Michigan. He’s performed in the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, Hastings Jazz Festival and the West Michigan Jazz Society “Monday Night Jazz Concert Series.” Additionally, Cutts has performed with the Grand Rapids Symphony on a number of “Symphony with Soul” events. He also supports gospel and other musical groups performing in music festivals, churches and venues throughout the area.

Cutts comes from a musical family known for making a “joyful noise” with music that uplifts the spirit and stirs the soul. His first single “Sunday Morning Shuffle” was released in June 2016 and he currently is working on a full EP of original music. Supporters and fans can find him on Facebook at “Music By Tom Cutts.” Listeners are invited to enjoy the sweet sounds of “gospel-jazzy-blue” that are set upon The Rock.

The wait is over. The Kentwood Summer Concert Series kicks off tonight with a bang as the local favorite The Crane Wives take the stage at 7 p.m.

“Kentwood’s concert series offers something for the whole family,” said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo. “It’s a great opportunity to kick back, relax with your favorite snack or local craft beer and enjoy the show.”

The annual concert series is every Thursday from 7 – 8:30 p.m. on the lawn located behind the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Rd. SE. Concert-goers can bring their own food and drinks or sample from food trucks, such as Patty Matters, Moochies Dream Cream, Doughrunts, and B.D.’s BBQ.

“We have a few different food trucks this year,” said Laura Barbrick, the marketing and events coordinator for the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department. The series also is part of the Kentwood’s 50th Anniversary celebration, which kicked off in February and continues throughout the year. In fact, the week after the Summer Concert Series ends, the city will host the Kentwood 50th Anniversary community celebration Aug. 11 and 12.

This year’s Summer Outdoor Concert Series has an impressive line up with female-fronted, harmony-driven folk-rock/pop group The Crane Wives starting the series off. From murky origins in Chinese restaurants, high school ska bands, and dorm room jam sessions, the band came together in 2010. Since then, the group has won seven “Jammie” awards from WYCE; Best Folk/Country song winner from ArtPrize 2012; and the group’s song “High Horse” was selected as one of the “Entries We Love” from NPR Tiny Desk Contest in 2017.

The group has released four albums including the dual set “Coyote Stories” (2015) and “Foxlore” (2016), plus a series of new singles in 2017.

The Crane Wives includes founders Kate Pillsbury, guitars and vocals, and Emilee Petersmark, guitars, banjo, and vocals, along with Dan Rickabus, drums and harmony vocals, and Ben Zito, bass.

The rest of the Summer Concert Series includes June 22 Tom Cutts & Friends; July 13 The Mainstays; July 20 Look Out Lincoln; July 27 The Tomas Esparza Blues Band; and Aug. 3 May Erlewine.

Several local girls high school soccer teams will be in action this week.

By Mike Moll

WKTV Sports

The month of June may not have many scheduled events but each of them will be very important as they are all part of their respective MHSAA State tournament leading to the crowning of both individual state championships along with team state championships. The final school sports seasons draw to a close the weekend of June 16-17 when the girls soccer, boys baseball, and girls softball have the final competitions.

All the best to the student-athletes that have graduated and we look forward to seeing the underclassmen returning starting in August as the new year starts up and the fall sports seasons start it all over again.

While July will be an “empty” month as far as the high school sports schedule is concerned, the WKTV truck and crews will be covering various events over the course of the summer, so keep checking the broadcast schedule for more sporting events coming to you.

WKTV sports events will be broadcast on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeated later in the week on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, and any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/

The complete list of local high school sports events this week is as follows:

Softball is just one of several high school sports nearing the end of their season. Catch a game today!

By Mike Moll

WKTV Sports

There are plenty of local high school sports events to check out this week — including the beginnings of state playoffs for tennis and track — but the WKTV truck and crews will not be back covering games until next week.

The final spring game coverage will be:

Wednesday, May 24 – Boys Baseball, Hopkins @ Godwin Heights

Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat later in the week — Wednesday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/

The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:

A 9-1-1 dispatcher — a person who is “always there for you, waiting for your call” — is now in need of support from the community. And the annual Kent Area Law Enforcement’s Old Time Hockey Game offers the public the ability to support while watching some fun hockey action.

The Old Time Hockey Game will take place Saturday, May 20, at Byron Center’s Southside Ice Arena, 566 100th St., with the game beginning at 1 p.m. and an open skate to follow.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Michelle Bouwens, an 18-year veteran 9-1-1 dispatcher who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, according to her boss, is currently in the fight of her life.

“They are always there for you, waiting for your call. Now, one of them needs your help,” Matt Groesser, Emergency Communications Center manager for the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, said in an emailed statement. “The men and women of the Kent County Communications Center answer over 140,000 9-1-1 calls per year (that’s one call every 4 minutes on average). They are responsible for emergency communications in a community of over 435,000 people. … Come join us, and hundreds of others from the area, at the 21st annual Kent Area Law Enforcement Charity Hockey Game.”

The charity hockey game is the longest-running law enforcement hockey game in the state. The event is open to the public, with donations accepted.

Bouwens is married and has two sons, ages 9 and 10. She is taking unpaid time off to undergo treatment and surgeries, according to supplied information.

High school baseball and softball seasons are in full swing. Check out a ball game. (WKTV)

By Mike Moll

WKTV Sports

There are plenty of local high school sports events to check out this week, and the weather is supposed to take a turn for the better.

The WKTV truck and crews continue this week its May schedule of high school sporting event coverage, with the rest of the tentative schedule being:

Monday, May 8 – Boys Baseball, Belding @ Kelloggsville

Tuesday May 9 – Boys Baseball, Caledonia @ East Kentwood

Wednesday, May 24 – Boys Baseball, Hopkins @ Godwin Heights

Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/

The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:

Baseball will be featured as WKTV’s high school sports coverage enters the final month of the 2016-17 school year.

By Mike Moll

WKTV Sports

Just as the academic school year is quickly coming to an end, especially for seniors with many graduations taking place this month, the spring schedules are following suit as MHSAA tournaments begin near the end of the month — so be sure to get out and watch one of the high school contests while you still can this month and support your local teams.

Likewise, the WKTV truck and crews covering games are winding down as May will bring viewers the last scheduled high school sporting event coverage until the fall when football kicks off again. May’s tentative schedule is:

Tuesday, May 2 – Girls Water Polo, EGR @ East Kentwood

Thursday, May 4 – Girls Softball, East Kentwood @ Grandville

Monday, May 8 – Boys Baseball, Belding @ Kelloggsville

Tuesday May 9 – Boys Baseball, Caledonia @ East Kentwood

Wednesday, May 24 – Boys Baseball, Hopkins @ Godwin Heights

Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/

The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:

Kent County will have new voting machines in place by wall of this year. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Kent County, and the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, will have new voting machines in place by later this year as part of a Michigan state-wide upgrade of voting machines — and City of Wyoming clerk Kelli VandenBerg says she is pleased with the selection process and anticipates local voters will be pleased with their new experience.

Voting machines in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood will look similar to ones the public is used to, but they will be more “user friendly”. (Supplied)

“Any resident who has voted in the precinct will notice that this is new equipment – but that doesn’t mean there will be a steep learning curve or longer lines at the polls,” VandenBerg said in an interview with WKTV. “One of the key aspects in selecting this particular vendor is that the technology is much improved over our old equipment. This equipment is also much more user friendly.”

After a months-long review and selection process, and after the State of Michigan approved three qualified vendors, Kent County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons recently announced Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. as the vendor of choice for Kent County’s purchase of new election equipment.

According to a press release from the county clerk’s office , the new voting machines will first be used by all local voting bodies in Kent County starting with the November 2017 election. Some clerks across the state reportedly plan to use their new machines as early as the August 2017 election. All municipalities are required to have the new machines in place by the August 2018 election.

“My priority for Kent County’s new election system is to provide high quality equipment, the assurance of security, and a positive experience for the voter; each of the systems we considered would accomplish this in unique ways,” Lyons said in supplied material. “At the end of the day, my decision came down to the reliability and customer service for which Dominion is known, and its partnership with ElectionSource, an election services provider located right here in Kent County, which also has a proven track record for first class service.”

Lyons said here decision was based on input from local municipal clerks; improved features of the machines and software, including election-night result reporting for the public; high-speed absentee ballot-counting capabilities for local jurisdictions; and overall cost. Working with a local vender was also high on her list.

“We are supporting our local economy by working with a business located in our own back yard,” Lyons said in the press release.

“Kent County is very fortunate that our Elections Director (Susan deSteiguer) was involved in the committee that did the review,” Wyoming clerk VandenBerg told WKTV. “We also have our new County Clerk with Lisa Posthumus Lyons (involved). I understand her process was very thorough — she took a lot of notes and asked a lot of great questions. Kent County was well-represented in the selection process, and I am very comfortable with how we chose the new equipment.”

The WKTV truck and the crews will continue to bring various events to the airwaves this spring and this week we will be at East Kentwood covering girls water polo — twice!

The tentative April schedule for WKTV coverage concludes with:

Tuesday, April 25 Water polo, Grand Haven @ East Kentwood

Thursday, April 27 Water Polo West Ottawa @ East Kentwood

Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/

The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:

Softball action from Godwin Heights High School will be one of the featured games on WKTV this week.

By Mike Moll

WKTV Sports

The WKTV truck and the crews will continue to bring various events to the airwaves this spring and this week we will be at South Christian for a baseball game and at Godwin Heights for a softball — and check out next week’s schedule of water polo coverage!

The tentative April schedule for WKTV coverage is:

Tuesday, April 18 Baseball, Wyoming @ South Christian

Thursday, April 20 Softball Union @ Godwin Heights

Tuesday, April 25 Water polo, Grand Haven @ East Kentwood

Thursday, April 27 Water Polo West Ottawa @ East Kentwood

Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/

The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:

High school baseball and softball seasons are in full swing. Check out a ball game. (WKTV)

By Mike Moll

sports@wktv.org

Spring weather, and spring high school, sports are now in full swing — “Play Ball! So, if you are looking for a Wyoming and Kentwood area high school varsity sports event to get out to, here is your weekly list.

It was Bill Hoeneveld , the owner of the former Avon Hotel, who recommended to John VanderWeide that he might want to snap up the name Kentwood Plumbing and Heating.

“I was doing plumbing work for Avon Hotel at the time,” VanderWeide said. “It was 1967 and the city had just incorporated. Bill was like you might want to grab the name before someone else does.”

He did and just a month after the city had its first meeting in February, Kentwood Heating and Plumbing was born.

Kentwood 50 breakfast honoring local establishments who have been in the city since its incorporation in 1967.

Almost fifty years from its start, VanderWeide, along with several other business owners and leaders representing around 23 Kentwood companies were recognized at a 50th anniversary breakfast Thursday morning at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Library. The breakfast honored local establishments who have been in business since the city incorporated in 1967.

“When you succeed, we all succeed,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, who added that the city never wants to be a hindrance to business growth, but is here to work with its businesses. “I’m an engineer by trade and so I enjoy solving problems. If you see one or feel you have one, please contact me and we’ll sit down and work on it together.”

“It is an awesome thing you have done here,” said Bob O’Callaghan, president and CEO of Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, which along with the Kentwood Economic Development Corporation, sponsored the breakfast. “I just want to say thank you for staying in Kentwood and for helping to make the city what it is today.”

Each business received a special 50th anniversary clock statute featuring the anniversary logo. As part of its Kentwood 50 coverage, WKTV will be featuring each business on its news website, now.wktv.org, during the next several months.

“This is really an honor to be able to see some of the faces who helped shape this area,” said Joey Jacobson, a long time resident to the area who recently started working at Spencer Gifts, located in Woodland Mall. “To be able to start my career by being at this 50th anniversary event is a real honor and a cool transition as one generation starts to take over for the next.”

Specner Gifts Store Manager Megan LaClair said many people do not realize the company has such a long history. Spencer Gifts started in 1947 in Easton, Penn. Its first location in Grand Rapids was at the North Kent Mall and it moved to Woodland Mall shortly after the mall opened.

“We have played musical store fronts at the mall, but have been then since its inception,” LaClair said, adding that she has only been with the company for four years and was pleasantly surprised to learn of Spencer Gifts history with the city and honored to receive the award for the store.

After an event at the City of Kentwood’s City Hall, the Kentwood 50’s Kentwood’s Got Talent contest now has 11 finalists for the August finals. (WKTV)

WKTV StaffThe field competing in the City of Kentwood’s Kentwood’s Got Talent event, a part of the city’s Kentwood 50 anniversary celebration, got a little smaller Wednesday as 11 finalists were given “Golden Tickets” and an invitation to the August finals.

WKTV was there filming the event, held in City Council chambers at City of Kentwood City Hall, and you can see the video here.

About 30 auditions — ranging from singing to dancing to comedy — were held prior to the deadline of Friday, March 3. The finals will be Aug. 11 at 7 p.m., at a community event outside at city hall.

For more information on Kentwood 50 celebrations, visit kentwood50.com.

Hoop Heaven Basketball Academy will be holding introductory events this month and in April. (Supplied)

WKTV Staff

Wyoming’s Hoop Heaven Basketball Academy recently announced several youth basketball programs, including a March 11 trial event of its Travel Ball League Play and the Saturday afternoon Biddy Ball program starting in April.

Hoop Heaven events are held at the Elevation Church, 2141B Porter St. SW. The program’s mission, according to supplied material, is “Pursuing gospel transformation and leadership development in Wyoming area youth through the game of basketball.”

The Travel Ball League Play event on March 11 will start at 1 p.m. and is for both boys and girls grades 3-12. The cost of tryout is $5 per players and you must pre-register. For registration and more information on this event contact Phyllis Harder at 616-498-1128, email her at phyllis@elevationhoopheaven.org or visit their website at elevationhoopheaven.org or visit them on Facebook at /hoopheavenbasketballacademy

The Biddy Ball program will run April 15 through May 13 and is open to both boys and girls K-2nd grade. Both friend (of teams) and entire team requests will be considered. The cost if $55 per child, with partial scholarships available, which includes a t-shirt. For more information contact Eric Vandyke at 616-272-6244, email him at ericvandyke15@gmail.com or visit elevationhoopheaven.com .

Following the City of Kentwood’s special City Commission meeting Monday, held as the kickoff event of the year-long Kentwood 50 celebration of the city’s 50th anniversary, the reception was held at Railtown Brewing Company and the beer of choice was — naturally — a golden ale brewed with a touch of mango.

Two reasons for the beer being the natural choice of the celebration: a 50-year anniversary is considered a “golden” anniversary, and the brew was the pick of some staff at the city’s Park and Recreation Department, which has, shall we say, a relationship with the 2-year-old Railtown.

The addition of the mango flavor? Well, the parks people also liked it so that was good enough for the brewery.

“A lot of the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department are actually mug clubbers here, they have a mug on the wall over there, they are just regulars,” said Gim Lee, who along with his partner Justin Buiter opened the brewery in late 2014. “They are friends and they asked if we would like to do something special (for the anniversary celebration) and we said ‘absolutely.’

“A group of them came, we sat down and collaborated on what they were celebrating and what kind of beer would work with that. They threw a whole bunch of different styles on the table, what they might want to try. They, as a team, actually landed on the golden ale — this is their golden 50th — and the mango being a golden fruit, that would be a perfect pairing. They wanted something unique and mango is a flavor not used too frequently.”

Railtown is located at 3555 68th St., in Dutton but just across the border with Kentwood. Since it opened it has grown to be a 3,500-square-foot space at the east end of the Village Mall plaza. The brewery’s tap room has 10 taps and usually 10 different brews available, and it has started to distribute kegs to other restaurants.

While the special Kentwood 50 brew was tapped at Monday’s invite-only opening ceremony reception, Lee said it would be available to the public — just maybe not until they brew up some more.

“We will have it on and off throughout the year, so people should be able to come in here and get it through the rest of the week — assuming we do not blow it out that first night,” he said. “We’ll see.”

If you fill the special Kentwood 50 growler at Railtown Brewing a donation will be made to the city’s Park and recreation department. (Supplied)

Also debuting on the night of the reception were growlers with a special logo, which are part of the brewery’s continuing support of the Kentwood 50 event. The brewery will be donating a portion of its growler sales as the celebration continues.

“We are raising some money for the parks and recreation department by doing this,” Lee said. “When you buy a growler, we will be donating a couple bucks back to parks and recreation every time you fill that growler, regardless of what beer it is. It doesn’t have to be the golden ale. This will be an on-going promotion.”

As far as the process of developing the new brew, Lee admitted it was pretty much like Railtown decides on any beer it brews — they like to drink it, so they know other people will like to like to drink it. Although, he said, this time they had to satisfy more tastebuds than just the staff’s.

“We have brewed golden ales, we have done a lot of that. That part is easy,” he said. “We took a different golden ale, we racked it off to what is called a firkin, a 10-gallon cask, it is an old-fashioned way of serving beer. In the firkin you can dose whatever you want in it, that is part of the fun of using a firkin — you can add a little fruit, extra hops, a little coffee, whatever you want. It is a really good way to experiment with different flavors. … based on that, that flavor profile, we can scale it up to a bigger scale” for brewing.

“The (Kentwood 50) beer has been done for quite a while, and that was intentional,” he said. “I wanted to make sure if they did not like it at all, I would have time to brew something else if I had to. Its been done for a month. They came in and tried it, and I tried it, and my brewers tried it. We all thought it was pretty nice.”

For more information on Railtown Brewing Company, call the taproom at 616-881-2364 or visit railtownbrewing.com (leads to a Facebook page).

It was a celebration of Kentwood’s past and future as residents, city leaders, school officials and students came together Monday night for the city’s kick off to its 50th anniversary.

Feb. 27, 1967, the Kentwood City Commission had its first meeting at Bowen Elementary School, so organizers of the year-long celebration decided it would only be fitting, and a perfect way to kick off the 50th anniversary celebration, if fifty years to the day, the Kentwood City Commission would have its meeting at Bowen Elementary School.

Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff said the district was excited to be able to help make that happen as both school and city officials are proud of the strong partnership that exists between the two organizations. In fact, at the meeting, Zoerhoff said it is that partnership between the Kentwood Public Schools and the City of Kentwood that has made the community the incredibly strong one that it is.

“I am excited to see what we will do in the next 50 years because its going to be something,” Zoerhoff said.

State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker (R-26th District) presents a proclamation with current and former state legislators to Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley.

Last night’s celebration had a definite eye toward the city’s future with Kentwood Public Schools students open the meeting with the Pledge of Alliance followed by students welcoming audience members in their native language, wearing the clothing of their homeland, which was designed to celebrate one of the city’s most unique attributes — it’s diversity. In fact, Kentwood is often called “the melting pot” as its residents represent more than 60 different countries, speaking more than 70 languages.

“If you ask a citizen of Kentwood why they like the city of Kentwood, the first thing that will come of of their mouth usually is diversity,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley to the almost 200-person crowd in attendance.

Kentwood’s residents’ and leaders’ willingness to work together have made it the success it is today, said State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker (R-26th District), who, on behalf of the state legislature and with other state officials, presented the city with a special proclaimation. For that reason, she believed the quote at the top of the proclamation from Henry Ford was especially appropriate for the city: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

Lt. Governor Brian Calley, who also was in attendance along with other national, state, county and local officials, said it is the attitude of strong people, strong families and strong communities that has made Kentwood and West Michigan the vibrant community it is today. He said that Kent and Ottawa counties make up 10 percent of the state’s population but has been about 20 percent of the job growth over the last six years.

Kentwood Public School students participate in the program with a special welcome to the audience.

“So in celebrating 50 years, I want to say to the leadership that this doesn’t happen by accident,” Calley said. “It happens when people really know there stuff. Who are accountable and transparent and have the type of professionalism to do it and do it right.

“And clearly in Kentwood, you do it right.”

At the closing of the meeting, each of the commissioners talked about how much they have enjoyed living, working and serving Kentwood, making it a place to call home.

“How can a community so diverse unify?” Kepley said. “I think we have the answer not just for Michigan, the country, but for the world. It is a very simple word, and the word is love.

“We love each other. Neighbors love each other, taking care of each other and that neighbor might not look like you, talk like you, worship like you, but there is love there and I think that is why it all works.”

During the meeting, Kentwood resident Dale Potter was recognized for his 30 years of service to the community as representative of the importance volunteers have played in building the city and helping to continue to grow, Kepley said. Also a clip of the Kentwood 50th Documentary was shown, which was produced by WKTV. The full documentary will be available March 20 and will air on WKTV.

The Kentwood 50 celebration continues as the Taste of Kentwood is March 2 and the audition deadline of the Kentwood’s Got Talent is Friday, March 3. The first round of the Kentwood’s Got Talent is March 9. For more information, visit www.kentwood50.com.

The registrations deadline for the Kentwood’s Got Talent is only a week away.

Those interested in singing, dancing, or making people laugh, need to register by March 3. The event is part of the Kentwood 50th Anniversary celebration, which kicks off on Monday, Feb. 27, with a special City Commission meeting that marks when Kentwood’s first City Commission meeting took place 50 years ago. Registration forms can be found at www.yourkprd.org and may be sent in online through the website or mailed to Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE., Kentwood.

The Kentwood’s Got Talent is a talent show with first round auditions set for Thursday, March 9, from 6 – 8 p.m. at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton SE.

The contest is open to anyone ages six and up with adults and seniors encouraged to participate. A person may participate in one act, a solo or group. All acts are limited to five minutes. The event is family friendly, so music selection should be appropriate for all audiences. The Talent Committee does reserve the right to refuse materials or acts due to mature content.

First round winners will be notified and will move on to the finals which will take place during the city’s weekend-long celebration in August. The Kentwood’s Got Talent final round is set for Aug. 11 from 7 – 9 p.m. at Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton SE.

On Feb. 27, 1967, the City of Kentwood had its first commission meeting at Bowen Elementary School. Fifty years to the day, the city commission will once again meet at Bowen Elementary to kick off Kentwood’s golden anniversary.

“February 27 marks a truly historic occasion for the City of Kentwood,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley. “Celebrating the original City Commission meeting is a memorable way to honor Kentwood’s past while looking forward to our future.”

Long before the city was even mapped out as Paris Township, people were coming to the area mostly because it reminded them of their former homes, with rolling hills and good soil, said Ray Boisvenue, a local historian who has helped collect oral histories of many of Kentwood’s residents.

In 1939, the township organized with resident Joel Guild suggesting the name Paris for the area after his former home of Paris, New York. Guild was then elected the first township supervisor. The township at that time was a perfect square, bordered by Hall Street to the north, 60th Street to the south, Division Avenue to the west and Patterson Avenue to the east.

As the township grew, so did the neighboring City of Grand Rapids, which slowly chipped away at the township’s area though annexations. The first annexation took place in 1891 but the bulk happened from 1958 to 1963 causingresidents to fight for incorporation. It would take three attempts and the announcement of a new $4 million shopping center – Woodland Mall – for the vote of incorporation to pass by a slim margin of 177 votes in favor on Feb. 20, 1967.

A few minor details had to be worked out, but the newly formed city had its first meeting Feb. 27, 1967, with Peter Lamberts elected as the city’s first mayor. The rest of the city commission include Dale Heyboer and Robert Ide as commissioners-at-large, Preston Miller and Quinten (Jack) Ward from Ward 1 and Gordon Gezon and Clifford Barnes from Ward 2.

Kentwood officials moved into the current city hall structure in 1979.

The anniversary commission meeting – which will feature the current City Commission, Mayor Stephen Kepley, Commissioner-at-Large Betsy Artz, First Ward commissioners Gerald DeMaagd and Robert Coughlin and Second Ward commissioners Erwin Haas and Michael Brown – is at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at Bowen Elementary, 4483 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. The event will feature special programming provided by the current city commission. The meeting will flow much like a typical city commission meeting but with special tributes and fun facts about the city and will include a two-minute clip of the Kentwood 50th Anniversary documentary produced by WKTV.

According to organizers, the evening will be a celebration of the community’s growth and recognition of the residents, schools, businesses and nonprofit that have made Kentwood a great place to live, work and raise a family. Among the special guests scheduled to attend are Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and State Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, both of whom will be presenting proclamations honoring the city.

Kentwood 50th Anniversary events have been planned throughout the year. Among the public events coming up in the next couple of months are the Taste of Kentwood set for March 2, the Kentwood’s Got Talent auditions March 9 (registration deadline is March 3), and an Easter Egg Hunt April 15. There is also a breakfast planned to honor businesses that have been in Kentwood since 1967 on March 23. Also, Railtown Brewing Company, 3555 68th St. SE, Dutton, will be unveiling a special beer next week in honor of Kentwood’s 50th Anniversary.

“We have been working really hard to make this a special year for our community,” said Kentwood Treasurer and Kentwood 50 committee leader Laurie Sheldon. “Our residents, businesses and organizations have made Kentwood an amazing city and we are making sure we express our thanks through great events in 2017.”

Other programs include The Vibe – a Parks and Recreation Gala that raises money for the department’s programs will be May 19 and a weekend-long street fair and festival August 11 and 12 that will include food, kid-friendly events, live entertainment and the finale of the Kentwood’s Got Talent.

The Farmer’s Market, Fourth of July celebration and parade and all other city-sponsored events also will be focused on the Kentwood 50th Anniversary.

WKTV also will be providing coverage of many of the events along with special Kentwood 50 stories at now.wktv.org.

Hockey at East Kentwood High School is on tap for Saturday coverage by the WKTV crew.

WKTV Staff

This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at East Kentwood for girls basketball game against Hudsonville on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and then at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Forest Hills Central on Saturday, Feb. 25.

WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.

Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.

This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at Wyoming Lee for boys basketball game against Kelloggsville on Tuesday, Feb. 14, and then at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Grandville on Friday, Feb. 17.

WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.

Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.

The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters Committee meeting will be Monday, Feb. 13, from 8-9 a.m. at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St SW, at the corner of 28th and Michael Avenue SW.

The meetings alternate between Wyoming City Hall and Kentwood City Hall.

The meeting, where chamber officials meet with local, county and state government officials, is free and open to the public. It will also be recorded by WKTV community television for viewing.

The Feb. 13 meeting will be delayed broadcast on WKTV community television Channel 26 on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. until the next Government Matters Committee meeting. It is also available on-demand at wktv.viebit.com

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a series of Craft Beer 101 classes starting this week. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

It is not too late to fill your Monday calendar with a little beer (education) as the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department beings four weeks of its Craft Beer 101 adult education program Monday, Jan. 23, with a program at Jaden James Brewery.

The program — continuing on Monday evenings from 6-8 p.m. on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 and 13 — is for people 21-years-old and older who want to learn more about what goes into beer, how beer is made and the various kinds of beer, according to supplied information. The class will include tasting.

The classes are led by Ben Darcie, founder of Experience Beer WM and a beer writer, educator and self-proclaimed “beer geek extraordinaire.” The classes are for the beginner as well as the advanced home-brewer.

The program at Jaden James Brewery, located at 4665 Broadmoor Ave. SE, is called “Intro: Beer Ingredients and Process” The other classes, in order of date, are “Beer Tasting: Lager, Pale Ale & IPA; Hops and Brewing Them” at Schmohz, 2600 Patterson SE; “Beer Tasting: Belgian, Porter and Stout; Alternative Yeast and Recipe Design” at Railton Brewing, 3555 68the St. SE; and “Infection and Off-flavor” at Horrock’s Market at 4455 Breton SE.

Cost of the four-class program is $50 or $15 per class; and night-of registration is available. For more information call 616-656-5270 or visit yourkprd.org

This year, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the city of Kentwood decided to honor the civil rights leader by partnering with The Pantry and opening a “little free pantry” where people can take or leave food and household supplies.

“This is the one day of the year I believe represents Kentwood,” said Mayor Stephen Kepley to an audience at the KDL Kentwood Library where the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. program took place on Monday.

“Because of what Martin Luther King Jr. stood for, who he was, what he said and what he did, his actions helped to make the city what it is today. Kentwood is one of the most diverse and international cities in the state.”

With a population of more than 50,000, the city has approximately 60 different cultures speaking more than 70 different languages. According to Kepley, this diversity probably would never have happened without King’s vision of people “…one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character.”

Kepley said King taught people to “love their neighbors as yourself…Because how can you hate them if you love them?”

Noting that King was not a man of just words but actions, Kentwood leaders decided to follow King’s actions by partnering with The Pantry, located at John Knox Presbyterian Church, for the community’s first Little Free Pantry.

Staff work to fill the Little Free Pantry

Started in Arkansas with the motto “Neighbors serving neighbors,” the Little Free Pantry is similar to the little free library movement. The pantries are designed to be small and fill an immediate and local need. Basically, take an item or items when needed and leave an item or items when you can.

“It’s residents helping residents, neighbors helping neighbors,” said community leader Jessica Ann Tyson, who was the host at Monday’s event. “If you are going to the store and you are picking up some macaroni and cheese, pick up an extra one for the pantry.”

Tyson said there is a need within the city as 9.8 percent of the families in Kentwood live below the poverty line. For a family of four, the poverty line is $24,300. For an individual, it is $11,880 or less. Other figures Tyson had was that 14.6 of the Kentwood population live under the poverty line, including .6.8 percent are under the age of 18 and 7.6 percent are over the age of 65. Tyson also noted that there are about 5,000 food assistance cases in Kentwood.

She said the Little Food Pantry is anonymous, with people not required to fill out an application to receive items.

Located inside the Kentwood Activities Center, the Free Little Pantry is open year around. Donations of food items such as brown rice, cereals, canned goods, pasta, and peanut butter, and personal care items, such as deodorant, disposable razors, laundry soap, shampoo, toilet paper, can be dropped off at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, or to The Pantry, 4150 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. Other items accepted are crayons, small toys, games and school supplies.

The Free Little Pantry is open during the Kentwood Activities Center regular hours. For more information about the Little Free Pantry, call the Kentwood Activities Center at 616-656-5270.

After conducting an annual rate study and holding a 20-day public comment period, the Grand Rapids City Commission has set the water and sewer rates for 2017.

Because a portion of the Kentwood system is owned and maintained by the City of Grand Rapids (generally east of Breton Avenue), Kentwood residential customers will see some very slight changes in their quarterly water/sewer bills.

“The average residential customer will actually see a very slight overall decrease of 0.21% in their quarterly water/sewer bill for 2017,” said Tim Bradshaw, Director of Engineering & Inspections with the City of Kentwood.

The approximate changes to quarterly billing for the average customer are as follows:

Water: $2.15 (2.59 percent increase)

Sewer: ($2.46) (3.71 percent decrease)

There were no significant upgrades to the system, and Kentwood experienced minor growth via commercial and residential development.

“The main driver for the increase in the water rate is the need for the City of Grand Rapids to maintain a debt service coverage ratio of 1.2 to maintain their AA bonding status,” explained Bradshaw.

At a recent December workshop, residents along Wing Avenue got a little bit of good news — the city would defer most of the costs for public utilities.

In November, the Kentwood City Commission approved an amendment allowing for a farmhouse exemption with a property owner only having to pay the first 125 feet of frontage for installation of water and sewer. The rest would be deferred if the parcel were split in the future.

“Currently, many of these homes along Wing Avenue were looking at upwards to $90,000 to hook up,” aid Kentwood City Engineer Tim Bradshaw. “It brought the cost of hooking up to sewer and water down to a more reasonable price and made it comparable to having a well or septic.”

It was noted at a Dec. 5 workshop that based on City of Grand Rapids’s current rates, the connection costs for a 125-foot frontage would be about $17,050 for sewer and $15,975 for water. Those costs are only paid upon connection. According to Building Advisor, the cost of installing water and septic can be $20,000 or more.

Another cost concern was that of sidewalk and storm sewer construction. The City Commission also recently amended the city policy to no longer assess for those items if the improvements are included in the final design of Wing Avenue. Residents, however; would be required to maintain the sidewalks running along their property.

Wing Avenue at 60th Street

Bradshaw said at the recent workshop, residents seemed to respond well to the changes since it did reduce some of the cost concerns, however; there are still several other issues residents have including keeping the natural feel and look of the road. Impact on the trees and the natural features lead several residents to petition the city to consider designating Wing Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street as a Natural Beauty Road in accordance to the guidelines established by the state legislature in 1995.

Michigan’s Natural Beauty Road Act is designed to identify and preserve certain county-local roads that have unusual or outstanding natural beauty by virtue of native vegetation or the natural features. There are 34 roads in Kent County with the designation, none of which are in Kentwood.

There are several requirements including that the speed be not more than 35 mph. Wing Avenue’s current speed limit — which is determined by a Michigan State Law — is 40 mph.

The designation would not prevent tree removal when necessary for the safety and protection of the traveling public and vehicles, including improvements to the roadway and for public utility construction crossing Wing Avenue. Tree removal would not be allowed for construction of public utility alongside the road.

The Kentwood City Commission will consider the Natural Beauty Road petition at its Feb. 7 meeting. This is after the presentation by the consulting firm Fleis & VandenBrink on its final corridor study which is scheduled for Jan. 17. Fleis & VandenBrink have been tasked to study several items including public utility planning, road construction, and non-motorized needs such as sidewalk, bike lanes, etc.

At the December workshop, the consulting company indicated it would likely recommend the construction of 11-foot lanes striped at 10 feet for safety, better speed control, reduce cost and reduce tree impact over the standard 12-foot width. Also, it was indicated to use the speed of 40 mph to improve sight distances. The firm was still reviewing curb versus ditches and sidewalks/non-motorized trails.

The City Commission is expected to make a final decision on the Wing Avenue plans at its Feb. 21 meeting. Once the final scope has been determined, engineering and design work will begin. Bradshaw said the city has targeted the spring of 2018 to start construction.

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